106-644: Port Ewen is a hamlet (and census-designated place ) in Ulster County , New York , United States. The population was 3,678 at the 2020 census . Port Ewen is in the Town of Esopus , south of Kingston , along U.S. Route 9W . Port Ewen is bounded by the Rondout Creek to the north, the Hudson River to the east, the hamlets of Connelly and Sleightsburgh to the northwest and northeast, respectively,
212-449: A bottle bill , to be enforced and administered by DEC. The department's facilities at Whiteface Mountain and Mount Van Hoevenberg near Lake Placid were venues for several events at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games . The decade also saw the department complete, with considerable volunteer help, New York's Atlas of Breeding Birds , a mammoth, exhaustive tome of great interest to birders and ornithologists . DEC efforts have also led to
318-678: A county seat , which is the location of county government. Nineteen counties operate under county charters, while 38 operate under the general provisions of the County Law. Although all counties have a certain latitude to govern themselves, "charter counties" are afforded greater home rule powers. The charter counties are Albany , Broome , Chautauqua , Chemung , Dutchess , Erie , Herkimer , Monroe , Nassau , Oneida , Onondaga , Orange , Putnam , Rensselaer , Rockland , Schenectady , Suffolk , Tompkins , Ulster , and Westchester . Sixteen counties are governed through an assembly with
424-420: A memorandum of understanding with the city that eventually led to both tougher land-use regulations in the watersheds of its upstate reservoirs and economic development funds for the communities in them. The 90 mile (140 km) Genesee Valley Greenway was created during this time on abandoned railbed and Genesee Valley Canal property. A new source of funding was opened up when the legislature created
530-560: A municipality is defined as a borough, city, town, or village is determined not by population or land area, but rather on the form of government selected by the residents and approved by the New York State Legislature. Each type of local government is granted specific home rule powers by the New York State Constitution. There are still occasional changes as a village becomes a city, or
636-417: A $ 150 million to install wells and treatments facilities to contain and cleanup contamination on the 600-acre site. DEC's Division of Marine Resources plays a key role in developing new reefs off the coast of Long Island as part of New York's Artificial Reef Program. Hundreds of tons of clean, recycled materials, including former girders from the former Tappan Zee Bridge, were strategically placed to settle on
742-506: A county administrator, who acts on behalf of the legislature, the legislature must maintain ultimate control over the actions of the administrator. Many, but not all, charter counties have an elected executive who is independent of the legislature; the exact form of government is defined in the County Charter. In New York, each city is a highly autonomous incorporated area that, with the exceptions of New York City and Geneva ,
848-471: A home along the Hudson River in 2018. It has even been featured on the television show. Hamlet (New York) See also: [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the American state of New York . The state is divided into boroughs , counties, cities, towns, and villages. (The only boroughs,
954-684: A joint investigation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Manhattan District Attorney's office that led to the seizure of elephant ivory worth more than $ 8.5 million from jewelers based in New York City. Following extensive reviews by DEC and the NYS Department of Health, DEC issued a findings statement in 2015 that prohibited high-volume hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in New York. DEC facilitated
1060-642: A land-use classification for private land under its Adirondack Park Land Use and Development Plan (APLUDP). The APLUDP extends the boundaries for its classification of hamlets "well beyond established settlements" to allow for growth. In New York, a village is an incorporated area. About 85% of villages fall within a single town. Villages in the State of New York are classified by the Census Bureau as incorporated places . Like all municipal corporations, villages have clearly defined legal boundaries. A village
1166-726: A major re-organization of New York State's government. The new Conservation Department also absorbed the duties of the Water Power Commission (created in 1921) and the Water Control Commission (created in 1922), which were established to monitor the state's hydro-power resources and regulate water flow. The new department also included a Division of Parks, which was made senior to the State Council of Parks that had been established in 1924 to oversee New York's state parks and historic sites outside of
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#17327761787961272-574: A male householder with no spouse present made up 14.7% of households in 2020. The average family size was 2.91 in 2020. Updated information for 2020 is available. In the CDP, the population in 2000 was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males. Updated information for 2020
1378-417: A mayor and (usually) four trustees. The board is responsible for approving mayoral appointments, managing village finances and property, and approving a budget. The mayor, who is generally the chief executive of the village, may vote in all business before the board and must vote to break a tie. The mayor generally does not possess veto power, unless this is provided for by local law. Administrative duties of
1484-596: A revived Hercules Powder Company based in Wilmington, Delaware. The Port Ewen plant produced a range of special detonators designed for military use, as well as construction jobs that required blasts of dynamite. In 1973, two women were injured in an explosion of blasting caps. Port Ewen has been served by several religious establishments, including the Town of Esopus United Methodist Church, the Catholic Church of
1590-546: A town; 35.9% were living in a town but outside a village. Whereas cities and villages can cross county boundaries, each town in New York is completely contained within a single county. New York towns are classified by statute as being a town of the first class or a town of the second class . Additionally, a town of the first class can further be classified as a suburban town upon meeting certain criteria. Originally, towns of different classes possessed different powers. Since 1964, all towns, regardless of classification, have had
1696-481: A uniform statewide Village Law (twelve villages still operate under charters issued by the state legislature prior to a revision of the State Constitution in 1874 that forbade chartering villages). Also, villages are part of a town (or towns; some villages cross town borders), with residents who pay taxes to and receive services from the town. Cities are neither part of nor subordinate to towns except for
1802-685: A variety of DEC programs, including open space conservation, invasive species control, the Hudson River Estuary Program, Albany Pine Bush and Long Island Central Pine Barrens , state and municipal parks, and other environmental resource protections. The EPF has been fully funded at $ 300M annually since 2016. DEC is overseeing efforts to clean up contamination at the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant in Bethpage, New York , including
1908-510: A village becomes a city, the Legislature requires clear evidence, usually in the form of a locally drafted charter, that the community in question seeks to incorporate as a city. The forms of government cities can have are council–manager, strong mayor–council, weak mayor–council or commission. Forty-six cities, the majority, use the mayor–council form. The City of New York is a special case. The state legislature reorganized government in
2014-403: A village dissolves (stops existing), each of which requires legislative action. New York also has various corporate entities that provide local services and have their own administrative structures (governments), such as school and fire districts. These are not found in all counties. Almost every piece of land in the state is part of a city or town, which is part of one county. The exceptions are
2120-494: A village or town but will perform some of the functions of the other form. Villages remain part of the towns in which they are located; village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in both town and village elections. Towns can contain several hamlets and communities. If the United States Postal Service (USPS) has a post office in a hamlet it often will use the name of that hamlet, as will
2226-423: Is Sherrill, New York , with just 3,071 inhabitants in 2010. The smallest city by area is Mechanicville, New York , which covers 0.91 sq mi (2.4 km ) (of which 0.08 sq mi (0.2 km ) is water). Some places containing the word "city" in their name are not cities. Examples include Johnson City , Garden City , and New City . Several cities, such as Albany, are divided into wards for
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#17327761787962332-401: Is DEC's legal office. This office administers all DEC public hearings and enforcement hearings. It also considers all appeals of denials of requests under New York's Freedom of Information Law . This office serves to "build and maintain positive working relationships with Legislators and their staffs in order to encourage dialogue and cooperation on matters affecting environmental policy. OLA
2438-408: Is a municipality that provides services to the residents, services that may or may not include garbage collection, management of cemeteries, street and highway maintenance, street lighting, and building codes. Some villages provide their own police and other municipal services. Villages have less autonomy than cities. While cities are not subject to a town's jurisdiction, villages legally remain part of
2544-540: Is also mobilized to ensure safe drinking water in Newburgh, following the discovery of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) in city drinking water. Under New York's $ 2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act (CWIA) of 2017, DEC is assisting municipal efforts to upgrade drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities and residential septic systems, and mitigate drinking water contamination. New York State's Environmental Protection Fund (EPF), created in 1993, supports
2650-441: Is available. The median income for a household in 2000 was $ 41,949, and the median income for a family was $ 50,208. Males had a median income of $ 37,043 versus $ 27,583 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $ 22,040. About 5.1% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 14.5% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over. Sojourner Truth , American abolitionist and activist,
2756-810: Is charged to present, discuss, and gain passage of the Department's annual legislative program. OLA also serves as a liaison between elected officials and the Department on concerns and issues affecting their constituents." This office handles most of DEC's conservation-related functions. This office houses the two uniformed law enforcement agencies under DEC's aegis. DEC divides the state into nine administrative regions, all groups of counties . All DEC Program areas are represented in each regional office. Some regions have sub-offices closer to particular DEC program areas. DEC employees range from holders of multiple advanced degrees to clerk/typists who may not even have attended college. They do their work everywhere from
2862-402: Is commonplace to change boundaries and define new CDPs for each census. The Census Bureau formerly referred to CDPs as "unincorporated places" from 1950 through the 1970 decennial censuses. The term CDP was first used for the 1980 census , and minimum population criteria for CDPs were dropped with the 2000 census . Though the term "hamlet" is not defined under New York law, many people in
2968-456: Is contained within one county. Cities in New York are classified by the U.S. Census Bureau as incorporated places. They provide almost all services to their residents and have the highest degree of home rule and taxing jurisdiction over their residents. The main difference between a city and a village is that cities are organized and governed according to their charters , which can differ widely among cities, while most villages are subject to
3074-558: Is in three towns and two counties. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and have a coterminous town-village form of government. Despite their names, Greenwich Village , the East Village , and Queens Village are not villages, but neighborhoods of the City of New York . A borough is one of the five major administrative divisions of the consolidated City of New York . Boroughs do not currently exist elsewhere in
3180-558: Is land and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km) (26.97%) is water. As of the 2020 census , there were 3,678 people, in 1,434 households (down from 1,475 in the 2000 census) in the census-designated place (CDP). There were 1,784 housing units (up from 1,564 in 2000), with 1,660 occupied housing units, and 124 vacant housing units in 2020. The racial makeup of people in the CDP was 3,020 White , 211 African American , 3 Native American , 59 Asian , 108 from other races , and 277 from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 255 of
3286-1034: Is serving as interim commissioner after the previous commissioner, Basil Seggos, stepped down in April 2024. Seggos was the longest serving commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, having been appointed by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2015 and was confirmed unanimously by the New York State Senate . The department has 12 offices: Administration; Air Resources, Climate Change & Energy; Communications; General Counsel; Hearings and Mediation Services; Internal Audit and Investigation; Legislative Affairs; Natural Resources; Public Protection; Regional Affairs and Permitting; Remediation and Materials Management; and Water Resources. Many of these offices have internal divisions with specific responsibilities. There are three divisions within this office: This
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3392-647: Is the primary administrative division of New York. There are sixty-two counties in the state. Five of the counties are boroughs of the City of New York and do not have functioning county governments. While originally created as subdivisions of the state meant to carry out state functions, counties are now considered municipal corporations with the power and fiscal capacity to provide an array of local government services. Such services generally include law enforcement and public safety, social and health services (such as Medicaid ), and education (special needs and community colleges). Every county outside of New York City has
3498-425: Is then voted upon by the qualified voters living in the proposed village only. Some villages have fewer than 500 residents, having incorporated before the present population requirement or fallen below the old 500-resident threshold after incorporation. A village may also be dissolved, returning all government control to the town level. The process of dissolution can be initiated by the village board itself, or upon
3604-406: Is water. The town of Webb ( Herkimer County ) has the greatest land area, at 451 sq mi (1,170 km ). The smallest town, Green Island ( Albany County ), covers 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km ). The town of Hempstead ( Nassau County ) has about 760,000 people (2010 census), making it more populous than any city in the state except New York City . Red House ( Cattaraugus County ),
3710-1066: The Adirondack and Catskill parks, state forest lands, and wildlife management areas ; regulates sport fishing , hunting and trapping ; and enforces the state's environmental laws and regulations. Its regulations are compiled in Title 6 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations . It was founded in 1970, replacing the Conservation Department, and is headed by Basil Seggos. NYS DEC had an annual budget of about $ 2,588 million for FY 2024, and employs roughly 3,000 people across New York State. It manages over four million acres (16,000 km ) of protected state-owned land and another 910,000 acres (3,700 km ) of privately owned land on which it holds conservation easements . The department's activities go beyond land management and environmental enforcement to include
3816-616: The Rondout Creek would have to take the Skillypot , a chain ferry that ran to Sleightsburgh, noted for its sporadic service. Hercules Powder Company was formed in 1882 by DuPont and Laflin & Rand Powder Company . In 1902 by DuPont purchased Laflin & Rand which it operated as a subsidiary. In 1904 it dissolved Hercules as it continued to consolidate it holdings. However in 1912 successful antitrust litigation forced Duport to divest itself of Laflin and much of its explosive manufacturing. Laflin's patents for smokeless powder went to
3922-519: The United States Census Bureau as "a statistical entity defined for each decennial census according to Census Bureau guidelines, comprising a densely settled concentration of population" that is not part of a city or a village "but is locally identified by a name." CDPs may cross town and county borders. CDPs are defined collaboratively by state and local officials and the Census Bureau. They are defined for each census, and it
4028-432: The "Home Rule" article) of the state constitution establish the rights and responsibilities of the municipal governments. The New York State Constitution provides for democratically elected legislative bodies for counties, cities, towns and villages. These legislative bodies are granted the power to enact local laws as needed in order to provide services to their citizens and fulfill their various obligations. The county
4134-591: The Adirondack and Catskills mountains that are now open to outdoor recreation. Under New York's Sewage Pollution Right to Know (SPRTK) law, publicly owned sewage systems and treatment works are required to report untreated and partially treated sewage discharges to DEC within two hours of the discharge, and also alert the public and adjoining municipalities of discharges within four hours. DEC, in conjunction with other New York State agencies, updated safety procedures and emergency response preparedness associated with
4240-497: The Anna Devine report was 230 ppb. Port Ewen is on the west bank of the Hudson River at the mouth of Rondout Creek . Port Ewen is located at 41°54′25″N 73°58′43″W / 41.90694°N 73.97861°W / 41.90694; -73.97861 (41.906980, -73.978599). According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7.0 km), of which 2.0 square miles (5.2 km)
4346-458: The DEC to clear debris-filled waterways, they're out seizing pet squirrels." The Department of Environmental Conservation is headed by a commissioner appointed by the governor. The commissioner reports to the deputy secretary for the environment. Below the commissioner and deputy commissioners are the heads of all offices, divisions, and regional directors. Sean Mahar, executive deputy commissioner,
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4452-578: The Environmental Quality Bond Act, which continues to provide funds for land acquisition, solid waste aid, sewage treatment, air pollution control and resource recovery. Its renewal in 1986 made possible remediation of many hazardous waste sites. In the 1980s, DEC was given regulatory authority over storage, transportation, treatment and disposal of hazardous wastes. In this capacity, it helped New York end disposal of radioactive waste at West Valley . The legislature also passed
4558-933: The Forest Commission were merged to form the Fisheries, Game, and Forest Commission in 1895; it was renamed the Forest, Fish, and Game Commission in 1900. Protection of New York's water resources by a state agency began in 1902 with the establishment of the Water Storage Commission, which became the Water Supply Commission in 1905. The new Water Supply Commission also absorbed the River Improvement Commission that had been created in 1904. The Water Supply Commission's duties focused on ensuring adequate water
4664-645: The Forest Preserve. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation was created in 1970 by legislation symbolically signed on the first Earth Day by then-Governor Nelson Rockefeller . The new department was charged with the functions of the former Conservation Department, in addition to the duties of several programs previously part of the New York State Department of Health and other commissions; several brand-new offices were created as well. The same legislation relieved
4770-597: The Pollution Prevention Institute (P2I) in 2008 at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to bring together academic institutions, not-for-profit institutions and government entities to encourage and support the development of sustainable businesses and organizations, and reduce natural resource consumption and waste. New York achieved its goal of conserving one million acres of open space, including critical forested lands in
4876-785: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Reformed Church of Port Ewen. A Catholic mission of St. Mary's in Rondout had been established in Port Ewen for the large number of boatmen who lived on the northern side of Rondout Creek in Kingston. In 1873 the mission was split off as a separate parish and placed in the charge of Rev. Michael Phelan. The Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
4982-639: The State Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites (list of State Superfund sites). A Class 2 site represents a significant threat to public health or the environment and action is required." The downstream spread of contaminants has impacted Port Ewen from the original site in Ulster Park. "The primary contaminants of concern at the site are inorganic (metals) in the soil site-wide and creek sediments and "energetic" (potentially explosive) materials in wetland sediment and in specific locations in
5088-525: The State of New York have been granted broad home rule powers enabling them to provide services to their residents and to regulate the quality of life within their jurisdictions. They do so while adhering to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New York . Articles VIII (titled "Local Finances") and IX (titled "Local Government", but commonly referred to as
5194-653: The State's acquisition and protection of more than 65,000 acres of forested lands in the Adirondacks, including the Essex Chain of Lakes, OK Slip Falls, and Boreas Ponds. The 20,758-acre Boreas Ponds Tract, purchased in the spring of 2016, will be open to the public for the first time. DEC and the State Department of Health (DOH) are members of the New York's Water Quality Rapid Response Team, created in 2016 to evaluate drinking water supply threats across
5300-542: The U.S. Census Bureau as minor civil divisions . Like New Jersey and southern New England , all of New York is incorporated; all residents who do not live in a city or on an Indian reservation live in a town. Towns provide or arrange for the primary functions of local government. While some provide most municipal services for all town residents and selected services for residents of villages, some provide little more than road maintenance. There were 933 towns in New York. As of 2000 , 45.8% of state residents were living in
5406-639: The approximately 1,500 central office DEC staff had been relocated to the new facility. DEC employees were active in the cleanup after the September 11, 2001 , terrorist attacks in New York City. As part of the refinancing and reform the State Superfund Program in 2003, New York created the Brownfield Cleanup Program to mitigate threats to public health and the environment from contaminated sites. The initiative also
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#17327761787965512-451: The area in the 1890s in an effort to consolidate. Other cities, villages, and towns were annexed to become the " City of Greater New York ", (an unofficial term, the new city retained the name of New York), a process basically completed in 1898. At the time of consolidation, Queens County was split. Its western towns joined the city, leaving three towns that were never part of the consolidation plan as part of Queens County but not part of
5618-495: The area of the proposed village must have at least 1,500 inhabitants and not be part of an existing city or village. Additionally, the proposed village can be no more than 5 square miles (13 km ) in area unless its boundaries are to be coterminous with a school, fire, improvement or other district, or the entire town. The process of incorporation begins with a petition by either 20% of residents or owners of 50% of assessed real property. If deemed legally sufficient, incorporation
5724-427: The cities of New York and Albany city charters, which were recognized by the first State Constitution in 1777. All other cities have been established by act of the state legislature and have been granted a charter. Cities have been granted the power to revise their charters or adopt new ones. There are no minimum population or area requirements in order to become a city. While there is no defined process for how and when
5830-565: The city of Geneva ; New York City ; and ten Indian reservations . As of 2009 , New York has 62 counties (including New York City's five boroughs ), which are subdivided into 933 towns and 61 cities (including Geneva in both Ontario and Seneca counties, but excluding New York City and Sherrill ). In total, the state has more than 3,400 active local governments and more than 4,200 taxing jurisdictions. Counties and incorporated municipal governments (also known as "general purpose units of local government"; i.e., cities, towns and villages) in
5936-478: The city of Sherrill , which for some purposes is treated as if it were a village of the town of Vernon . Some cities are completely surrounded by a town, typically of the same name. There are sixty-two cities in the state. As of 2000 , 54.1% of state residents were living in a city; 42.2% were living in New York City; 11.9% were living in one of the other 61 cities. In 1686, the English colonial governor granted
6042-610: The consolidated city. Each borough individually elects a borough president and used to elect two at-large city council members, in addition to those elected based on each borough's population. The borough presidents once wielded considerable power as members of the New York City Board of Estimate , but the position is now largely ceremonial and advisory. Boroughs function as counties for certain purposes, but have no county government. The five New York City district attorneys , however, are still elected by county (for example,
6148-614: The county also publish maps that conflict both in the number of hamlets and their boundaries. Nevertheless, all land not within a village is administered by the town. Most of the rest of New York's hamlets, however, have less well-defined boundaries, and most towns have areas that are not considered to be a part of any hamlet. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) puts hamlet names on rectangular green signs with white lettering at roadside locations of its choosing. The NYSDOT and local governments also provide community identification signs on some scenic byways to be placed at
6254-595: The county boundaries—each have a Borough Board made up of the Borough President, the borough's district council members, and the chairpersons of the borough's community boards. A mayor serves as the city's chief executive officer. The most populous and largest city in the state is New York City , with a population of over 8.5 million inhabitants and comprising just over 300 sq mi (777.00 km ) of land (468.87 sq mi (1,214.368 km ) total area, which includes water). The least populous city
6360-544: The department's headquarters (central office) had been at 50 Wolf Road in Colonie, NY (the current headquarters of the New York State Department of Transportation ). In the late 1990s then Gov. George Pataki decided the department needed a new home with views of the Hudson River. He authorized funding to build a new office tower at 625 Broadway in downtown Albany. The building was completed in April 2001 and by late August
6466-563: The district attorney for Brooklyn is called the Kings County District Attorney). New York State Department of Environmental Conservation The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (informally referred to as NYSDEC , DEC , EnCon or NYSENCON ) is a department of New York state government . The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection of New York's natural resources ; manages Forest Preserve lands in
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#17327761787966572-535: The eastern portion of the property. Most of the surrounding areas are naturally vegetated with cover types ranging from old fields to forested areas." A New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Superfund Community Report for June 2024 indicated that "On May 21, 2024, DEC issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to the town of Esopus for the unpermitted work. The town immediately worked closely with DEC to implement corrective measures, including covering areas of soil disturbance and installing temporary fencing near
6678-502: The effort to create the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade program among seven northeastern states to lower carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions, a major contributor to global warming. RGGI was the first mandatory, market-based cap-and-trade program for CO 2 emission in U.S. history, and has grown to include nine states. In 2006, the DEC started an investigation of Camp O'Ryan ,
6784-561: The elementary school to reduce the risk of public exposure." Levels of lead exceeding 15 ppb have been found in some water supplies of Robert R. Graves Elementary, Port Ewen's public elementary school, according to an August 2021 analysis completed by EnviroTest Laboratories, LLC, with the highest recorded level of 90 ppb. Lead levels in water supplies exceeding 15 ppb have also been found in nearby Anna Devine Elementary School, located in Ulster Park, according to an analysis completed on behalf of Ulster BOCES. The highest level of lead recorded in
6890-712: The executive branch. All town justices were originally part of a town's board. Today, justices belong to a separate judicial branch known as Town Court or Justice Court, part of New York's Justice Court system. A town may contain one or more villages. Many towns have no villages. Five towns are coterminous with their single village and share the same name: Green Island in Albany County ; East Rochester in Monroe County ; and Scarsdale , Harrison , and Mount Kisco in Westchester County . A sixth,
6996-675: The five boroughs of New York City, have the same boundaries as their respective counties.) They are municipal corporations , chartered (created) by the New York State Legislature , as under the New York State Constitution the only body that can create governmental units is the state. All of them have their own governments, sometimes with no paid employees, that provide local services. Centers of population that are not incorporated and have no government or local services are designated hamlets . Whether
7102-557: The former New York Army National Guard training range in Wethersfield, New York . The concerns at this site included lead contamination from spent bullets, as well as alleged witnessed burial of cylinders of unknown origin. As of that date, DEC was contacting the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs and United States Army Corps of Engineers for further information about the range. DEC created
7208-712: The hamlet of Ulster Park to the south, and New Salem to the west. The prospect of finding work with the Pennsylvania Coal Company attracted many to Port Ewen. Port Ewen was served by the West Shore Railroad , which shipped, among other freight, high explosives produced by the Nitro Powder Company in Kingston. Before the opening of the Kingston–Port Ewen Suspension Bridge in 1921, those wishing to cross
7314-465: The least populous, has 38 permanent residents (2010 census). The use of "town" in a community's name is irrespective of municipal status. Elizabethtown , Germantown and Stephentown are towns. Cooperstown , home of the Baseball Hall of Fame , is a village, Jamestown and Middletown are cities, and Levittown is an unincorporated hamlet. A census-designated place (CDP) is defined by
7420-514: The limits. Based on the ZIP Code, the United States Postal Service (USPS) identifies the correct location for mail delivery. The New York State Gazetteer , published by the New York State Department of Health in 1995, includes a list of hamlets in the state. The criteria used for inclusion in the Gazetteer are not stated. The Adirondack Park Agency also uses the term "hamlet", though as
7526-516: The local fire department or elementary school. Businesses may also use the name of a hamlet as part of their name. The United States Census Bureau will, with consideration from the town, designate a census-designated place (CDP) that may use the name of one or more hamlets, though boundaries may differ from what is used by the ZIP code, local fire department, etc. Towns in New York may be further subdivided into wards, although as of 2017 , only fifteen of
7632-513: The manufacturing area. Volatile organic compounds (e.g., chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene or TCE) are also present in the groundwater near the former shell plant. The presence of potentially explosive materials complicate implementation of a remedy at this site." The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) had identified in a May 2023 state report, "mercury, lead, copper, zinc, and dozens of other chemicals" in sediment investigations of Plantasie Creek, adjacent to
7738-473: The mayor include enforcing laws and supervising employees. A village may also have a full-time village manager who performs these administrative duties instead of the mayor. In 2007, sixty-seven villages had such a manager. Some villages have their own village justice, while others utilize the justice of the town or towns in which they are located. While most villages are subject to a uniform statewide Village Law, twelve villages operate under charters issued by
7844-620: The mid-19th century; the New York City Council is currently elected from special districts, which are allowed to cross borough lines. New York City has a unique system of divisions, some of which possess governmental power, see Divisions unique to New York City . In New York, a town is a municipal corporation, and is the major division of each county (excluding the five boroughs that comprise New York City ), very similar to townships in other states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Towns in New York are classified by
7950-401: The new Borough of Queens. (A small portion of the Town of Hempstead was itself annexed, also.) The next year (1899), the three eastern towns of Queens County separated to become Nassau County . The city today consists of the entire area of five counties (named New York, Kings, Queens, Bronx, and Richmond). While these counties have no county government, boroughs—with boundaries coterminous with
8056-419: The new department of the duties of the former Conservation Department's Division of Parks; the jurisdiction of the former division instead became the independent New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation . In its first decade, it took the lead in helping the state comply with newly passed federal environmental legislation . DEC's work at Love Canal helped draw national attention to
8162-428: The population. There were 1,434 households in 2020 (down from 1,475 households in 2000), out of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them in 2020, (down from 31.2% in 2000). Of those households, 41.1% were married couples living together in 2020, down from 51.1% in 2000. Family households with a female householder with no spouse present comprised 32.1% in 2020, (from 10.3% in 2000), while those with
8268-480: The power of a board of supervisors , composed of the supervisors of its constituent towns and cities. In most of these counties, each supervisor's vote is weighted in accordance with the town's population in order to abide by the U.S. Supreme Court mandate of " one person, one vote ". Other counties have legislative districts of equal population, which may cross municipal borders; these counties may also have an elected County Executive. Most counties in New York do not use
8374-520: The problems posed by hazardous waste sites. It also worked to end General Electric 's discharge of PCBs into the Hudson River , an issue that continues into the present day . It implemented New York's first state-level endangered species list. DEC also was put in charge of reviewing declarations filed under the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), which mirrors federal laws. In 1972, voters approved
8480-567: The process of being seized from the sanctuary and that this justified the rabies testing. Testing for rabies requires taking brain sections and cannot be done to a living animal. DEC's involvement and handling of Peanut's case drew widespread public criticism from around the world. Nick Langworthy , the U.S. representative for New York's 23rd district, stated his irritation with the DEC, saying that "instead of focusing on critical needs like flood mitigation in places like Steuben County , where local officials have to struggle just to get permits from
8586-452: The public elementary school. According to the NY DEC, "Former manufacturing operations for primers and igniters for explosives took place in the developed portion of the site, which occupies approximately 100 acres. However, present-day operations include producing electric detonators within a smaller portion of the site. Disposal activities occurred within the plant area and in wetland areas in
8692-458: The publication of a magazine and a state bird atlas, and the operation of 52 campgrounds in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. Many of the specific functions of today's DEC began as tasks carried out by individual commissions or agencies created for those specific purposes. These smaller entities merged over time to create today's department, which was officially created in 1970. The earliest New York state commission dedicated to natural resources
8798-527: The purposes of municipal representation. Each ward elects one member to the city's legislative body, and the wards are redistricted roughly every ten years. These divisions can go by other names by city; in Buffalo they are known as districts . These divisions can either be numbered or named. New York City was divided into wards at various times in its history between 1683 and 1938, although they were gradually replaced by Assembly and Senate districts starting in
8904-550: The redevelopment of abandoned, contaminated properties to revitalize economically blighted communities. Additional regulations enacted in 2009 further improved New York's site remediation/redevelopment process. Under the Waste Tire Management and Recycling Act of 2003, DEC developed a plan to manage and recycle used and discarded tires, and address non-complaint waste tire dumps in the state, which had an estimated 18-20 million scrap tires. New York proposed and led
9010-583: The restoration of several species in the state, including the bald eagle . The state also began allowing its taxpayers to return a Gift to Wildlife on their income tax forms , providing money directly to DEC for conservation programs. DEC actions against New York City led to a consent order requiring the city to operate the Fresh Kills landfill under its regulations, which led to its eventual closure. New York has seen an 80% reduction in its operating landfills since 1984. The department also obtained
9116-687: The roadside boundaries of hamlets, as decided by the sign provider. Many towns have special zoning or planning districts and planning strategies for their hamlets, and many places welcome signs at the gateways to the hamlets. Some hamlets are former villages that have dissolved their incorporation ( Old Forge in Herkimer County ; Rosendale , in Ulster County ; and Andes in Delaware County , for example). Notwithstanding hamlets are not cities or towns, many of them are called out in formal addresses for those residents residing within
9222-450: The same legal powers as were once available only to suburban towns. Even so, towns of different classifications continue to have organizational differences and certain conditions that must be met before a town's classification changes. The town board serves as the legislative branch. The board is composed of one elected town supervisor (or chief executive officer in suburban towns) and a specific number of elected council persons; towns of
9328-444: The sea floor, creating habitat similar to natural reefs that will attract fish and marine life and expand opportunities for fishing and diving. On October 31, 2024, DEC raided a Pine City animal sanctuary for over 5 hours to seize Peanut (a 7-year-old pet squirrel) and Fred (a raccoon) on the basis that it is illegal to keep young wildlife as pets since the animals become too accustomed to and dependent on humans when they return to
9434-575: The second class generally have two but may have four council persons, whereas towns of the first class generally have four but can have two or six. The supervisor presides over the board, voting on all matters but not possessing veto or tie-breaking power. Certain towns operate under a town manager form of government, creating an executive branch in the town government, as permitted by legislation enacted in 1976. As such, some supervisors have additional authority or executive powers, whereas some towns have town managers or chief executive officers who serve as
9540-641: The state legislature prior to 1874. Before a revision to the State Constitution in that year, villages were formed by the state legislature through granting of charters. Many villages reincorporated, dumping their charters in favor of the Village Law. The villages that retain their charters are Alexander , Carthage , Catskill , Cooperstown , Deposit , Fredonia , Ilion , Mohawk , Ossining , Owego , Port Chester , and Waterford . These villages must still comply with those aspects of Village Law that are not inconsistent with their charters. To be incorporated,
9646-580: The state use the term hamlet to refer to a community within a town that is not incorporated as a village but is identified by a name, i.e. an unincorporated community . A hamlet often has a name corresponding to the name of a local school district , post office , or fire district. Because a hamlet has no government of its own, it depends upon the town or towns that contain it for municipal services and government. Because they do not have governments, hamlets have no clear boundaries . Suffolk County publishes maps that give hamlet boundaries, but towns within
9752-423: The state's 932 towns used this system. In towns operating under the ward system, citizens vote for councilmen who represent a specific area (ward) of the town, as opposed to the at-large councilmen elected in the majority of the state's towns. Towns vary in size and population. The largest town by area is Brookhaven ( Suffolk County ), which covers 531.5 sq mi (1,377 km ), but more than half of that
9858-429: The state's Environmental Protection Fund. The decade that saw New York come under its first Republican administration in 16 years had some worried that DEC would become more submissive to business interests. But the department remained active, taking the lead in establishing the state's Open Space Plan for future land acquisitions. The summer of 2001 brought a major change to the department. Since its inception in 1970
9964-468: The state, assist communities with water testing and provide technical assistance to ensure universal access to clean drinking water. In 2016, DEC mobilized a massive response to address PFOA contamination in Hoosick Falls, The agency engaged its workforce and contractors to install hundreds of water filtration systems in homes and a filter system at the towns water treatment facility. The agency
10070-478: The state. Each of the five boroughs of the city is coextensive with a county of the state of New York. Under New York State's General Municipal Law , a borough results when the towns, villages and cities in a county merge with the county itself. This occurred in 1898 when New York City merged with surrounding counties, cities and towns to form its present configuration. The five boroughs are: The boroughs were originally intended to retain some local governance in
10176-508: The submission of a proper petition to the board. The village board must produce a "dissolution plan" that settles specific matters, such as the village's debts, its employees and property, and the financial impact dissolution would have on village and non-village town residents. This plan is voted upon by village voters only. About 15% of villages cross other municipal boundaries. More than 70 villages are located in two or more towns. Seven villages are in two counties. The village of Saranac Lake
10282-405: The term "Board of Supervisors." 34 counties have a County Legislature, six counties have a Board of Legislators, and one county has a Board of Representatives. The five counties, or boroughs, of New York City are governed by a 51-member City Council. In non-charter counties, the legislative body exercises executive power as well. Although the legislature can delegate certain functions and duties to
10388-503: The town of Palm Tree in Orange County was incorporated in 2019 and is coterminous with the village of Kiryas Joel , having acquired land from the town of Monroe . When such an entity is formed, officials from either unit of government may serve in both village and town governments simultaneously. A referendum is held to decide whether residents prefer a village-style or town-style government, which will then function primarily as
10494-419: The town or towns in which they are located. Village residents pay both town and village taxes, and vote in town and village elections. Those services not provided by the village are provided by the town or towns containing the village. As of the 2000 census, 9.9% of the state's population was living in one of the 556 villages in New York. The legislature of a village is the board of trustees, composed of
10600-436: The transport of crude oil by train, reducing the risks of spills that could threaten communities and natural resources. DEC's Division of Law Enforcement (DLE) conducts investigations, including sting operations, to enforce a 2014 state law that banned the sale of elephant and mammoth ivory and rhinoceros horns in New York. The law was designed to enhance global protection for critical animal populations. In 2014, DEC conducted
10706-571: The wild. Peanut was rescued by a local couple after Peanut's mother was run over by a car; they said they were in the process of filing paperwork to have Peanut certified as an educational animal when he was seized. The local couple documented Peanut's care and recovery on Instagram where they were followed by 625,000 accounts world-wide. On November 1, DEC killed Peanut in order to test him for rabies despite Peanut not showing any symptoms of rabies and not being at risk for rabies as an indoor pet. The DEC claimed that Peanut bit one of its employees in
10812-458: Was a three-member Fisheries Commission established in 1868. The Forest Commission, set up in 1885 and revised in 1893, was established to oversee the newly created Forest Preserve in the Adirondacks and Catskills, in addition to management of other forests, tree plantings, and forest fires elsewhere in the state. A Forest Preserve Board was also established in 1897, charged with purchasing new state lands for conservation. The Fisheries Commission and
10918-583: Was available for New York's cities, towns, and villages. In 1911, the Water Supply Commission, the Forest Preserve Board, and the Forest, Fish, and Game Commission were combined to create the Conservation Commission, which was headed by three commissioners charged with managing inland waters, lands and forests, and fish and game, respectively. The Conservation Commission became the Conservation Department in 1926, following
11024-406: Was buried at the entrance of the church. Port Ewen and adjacent Ulster Park were once a work site of Dyno Nobel explosives, listed as a manufacturing/distribution location in the 2012 Sustainability Report issued by Dyno Nobel / Incitec Pivot Limited . The location of the former Hercules Inc. /Dyno-Nobel site has been designated a state Superfund site: "The site is listed as a "Class 2" site in
11130-552: Was dedicated by Archbishop John McCloskey on June 14, 1874. Aside from attending to missions in the nearby hamlets of Eddyville and Esopus, Phelan also traveled to southern Ulster County, where he formed the nucleus of a parish in the hamlet of Milton . Rev. Thomas O'Hanlon became pastor of Port Ewen's Church of the Presentation in 1877. O'Hanlon built the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart in Eddyville. He died in 1883 and
11236-561: Was enslaved in West Park, a few miles south of Port Ewen, also within the Town of Esopus . Truth was enslaved by Martinus Schryver from 1808-1810, forced to work at the tavern in town, until Schryver legally trafficked her to John Dunlap, also of West Park. Truth was finally able to escape being held against her will in 1826. A statue of her now stands at the corner of Broadway and Salem Street. Luann de Lesseps , former countess and current star of Real Housewives of New York City , purchased
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